


To Close a Door

by octopus_fool



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Khazâd November
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 04:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12927057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octopus_fool/pseuds/octopus_fool
Summary: Whoever had thought this up was cleverer than Narvi liked to admit.





	To Close a Door

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 27 of [Khazâd November](https://a-grump-of-dwarves.tumblr.com/post/166304116735/khaz%C3%A2d-november-2017), the additional prompt was "decision".  
> 

Narvi stood at the doors. He wasn’t sure who had suggested to put him in charge. He wished he wouldn’t know why either, but that part, he did know. It was not because they respected his work, their work. Not that they didn’t respect it, but that wasn’t the reason. No, they wanted to make sure he wouldn’t complain. Perhaps, there was someone who didn’t want him to commit treason, not for an elf. So they had put him in charge here. 

Narvi wondered whether he would commit treason, if he would have demanded the doors to be reopened or perhaps reopened them himself. Maybe he would have tried convincing part of the forces that he had been sent to deliver the command that they were to march to the aide of their allies. Not that they had been foolish enough to give him command of any part of the troops now. Just command of the guards of the doors, a group large enough to hold the doors and send message should they be attacked. Marching out with this small group would do little good.

No, whoever had thought this up was cleverer than Narvi liked to admit. Now he was in charge of this vital task in keeping his people safe from whatever was happening out there. He couldn’t help his friend, but he couldn’t rebel against the decision of closing the doors he had created with Celebrimbor. Because it was his decision to make.

“We should close the doors,” Grali said, having walked up behind Narvi without him noticing it.

“Not yet,” Narvi replied.

He continued to watch the pillars of smoke rise over Eregion. He could hear Grali move away. Narvi stayed just outside the half-closed doors, motionless for many hours, like one of the great statues. If Celebrimbor had made it out alive, he should have reached Khazad-Dûm by now. Still, Narvi could not bring himself to close the doors that had been the masterpiece of the art they had created together. If he closed the doors, that would mean Celebrimbor would be doomed to stay outside if he did manage to come here. Narvi would be responsible for his death, even if the orcs in the wild would be doing the actual killing. 

Narvi watched the landscape turn golden as the sun sank into the west. The bushes and trees along the road sent their long shadows out towards the mountain and dusk settled in. There was a bit of a commotion further down the valley. The warning cries of several birds rang out and a group of crows fluttered off in the distance.

Maybe Celebrimbor was finally coming. Then Narvi remembered how he had always laughed at the fact that birds and other beasts weren’t startled by Celebrimbor’s presence. A shiver ran down his spine.

He stepped back into the warmth of the mountain, but it did little to warm the cold dread that had been growing in him. With a deep sigh, Narvi closed the doors the final bit, feeling them move under his hands smoothly and as light as air. He briefly let his hand run over the smooth surface he had created together with Celebrimbor. He remembered how they had laughed over meaningless things until the doubled over with laughter. With a wrench, he tore himself away from the doors.

“Barr the doors!” Narvi ordered and strode towards his room in the guardhouse.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m currently taking Christmas/Yuletide/winter requests/prompts over on Dreamwidth! If you’re interested, read more here: <https://octopus-fool.dreamwidth.org/2017/12/03/>


End file.
